Healthy and Creamy Mashed Potatoes

A classic, delicious and simple recipe for mashed potatoes that is perfect as a side dish to almost any dish. I’ve often heard that making mashed potatoes is too much work, but with the right technique, it’s actually one of the easiest, while also being one of the tastiest potato dishes ever.

Mashed potatoes are a healthy source of carbohydrates to support your workout goals and the perfect meal prep solution. The recipe can be made heavier or lighter according to your preference and can also be prepared with plant-based alternatives instead of milk and butter.

Ingredients for The Best Mashed Potatoes

• Potatoes – Almost any kind of potatoes are suitable, but the best varieties are potatoes that are a bit starchier and break down faster. Some varieties that could be highlighted are, for example, “Yukon gold”, “Russet potatoes” and “Idaho potatoes”. Personally, I recommend buying unpacked, unwashed potatoes from a store or market, which is many times cheaper and gives exactly the same result as washed and packed potatoes.
• Milk (2.5%) – I recommend using milk with a fat content of 2.5%, but if calories are not a problem, you can also use whole milk with a fat content of ~4%. For the vegan version, you can also freely use any plant-based milk as an alternative, but I recommend using oat milk for the most neutral-tasting substitute.
• Butter – Butter adds a little fat and creates a creamier and tastier end result. Butter can also be replaced with olive oil and a couple of tablespoons of vegetable stock. However, if you use vegetable broth, be careful with the addition of salt so as not to oversalt the mashed potatoes.
• Salt – Add salt to the cooking water of the potatoes, as well as for seasoning when you mash the potatoes. Be sure to taste the mashed potatoes before adding salt, because salt can always be added, but it is rather difficult to remove. :)

How to Make Mashed Potatoes?

1. Wash and peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes – if they are not pre-washed potatoes, rinse them lightly under cold water to remove excess soil. Peel the potatoes with a knife or potato peeler and cut the potatoes into uniform medium-sized cubes. Depending on the size of the potato, I usually cut the potato in half, and then in turn into three cubes. The smaller you cut the potatoes, the faster they will boil, but if you cut the potatoes too small, they can become mushy too quickly and overcook.
2. Rinse the potatoes under cold water to remove excess starch – put the potatoes in a cooking pot, pour cold water over them and let them soak for a moment. You can also shortly mix the potatoes in water so that the starch is removed faster. Then pour off the starchy water from the potatoes and lightly rinse them again under cold water.
3. Add cold water to the potatoes, heat the water on the stove until it boils and add salt to taste – pour cold water over the potato cubes and place on the stove on high heat. Wait until the water boils, add a large pinch of salt to the water and turn the heat to medium.
4. Boil the potatoes for 10-15 minutes or until they are soft – test the readiness of the potatoes by poking them with a knife after the 10th minute. If the potatoes are soft when tested and the knife slides into the potato like butter and does not stick to the potato, the potatoes are ready. If a foamy layer accumulates on top of the water during cooking, remove it with a skimmer or spoon.
5. Drain the cooking water from the potatoes and add the rest of the ingredients – drain the cooking water and while the potatoes are still hot, add butter, milk at room temperature and a pinch of salt to the potatoes. Milk and butter can also be preheated in a pot so that it mixes more easily when you mash with the potatoes, but I personally have not been able to tell a big difference between using warmed and room temperature milk.
6. Mash the potatoes and the rest of the ingredients in a pot with a potato masher into a smooth, creamy mash – if you don’t have a potato masher, I definitely recommend getting one. With a potato masher, making mashed potatoes is very easy and takes 1-2 minutes instead of 5-10 minutes with a regular wooden potato masher. Be sure to taste the mashed potatoes while mashing. If the mash seems dry, add a little bit of more milk, if the mash does not have enough flavor, add more salt.
7. Serve the mashed potatoes and optionally garnish it with chopped green onions or chopped parsley.

Simple & Healthy Recipe for Mashed Potatoes

The best creamy mashed potatoes recipe in just 20 minutes. An ideal addition to meat dishes, sauces or other favorite dishes. Mashed potatoes are a tasty and healthy comfort food and a great solution for meal prep.

Ingredients (2 servings)

• 2.2 lb / 1kg of potatoes
• 2/3 cup / 150ml milk
• 2 tbsp / 30g butter
• Salt for seasoning

Nutritional Value Per Portion

445 Calories / 11 g Protein / 82 g Carbohydrates / 14 g Fats / 12 g Fiber / 9.2 g Sugars